The present invention relates generally to electrical switching systems for lamps and particularly to a flashlight with a multi-feature rotating switching assembly.
Lamps and flashlights of different shapes and sizes and utilizing different on/off switches are well known. Many flashlights utilize a cylindrical tube to carry one or more batteries and to serve as a handle. An electrical circuit is established within the flashlight for passing a current through the filament of a light bulb thereby generating a beam of light. A switch is provided for closing or opening the circuit to place the light bulb in an on or off position, respectively.
Typically, in a flashlight, a center or positive electrode of a battery contacts a conductor which in turn contacts an electrode of a light bulb. The electrode of the light bulb is connected to the filament of the light bulb which is, in turn, connected to another electrode of the light bulb. The second electrode is connected to another conductor. The case or negative electrode of the battery is placed in electrical contact with the cylindrical tube or barrel which is typically made of an electrically conductive material to provide an electrically conductive path to the switch. The switch is used to close or open the circuit, thereby turning the flashlight on or off, respectively.
Switches typically lack a number of desirable features such as the ability to silently turn the flashlight on or off without a clicking sound and the ability to quickly turn the flashlight on and off without placing the switch in an engaged or locked on or off position. The contact points of switches are also typically subject to carbon build-up which diminishes light intensity. In flashlights which are turned on and off by rotating a head assembly relative to a barrel, the switches typically lack locking on and off positions. These switches also typically require excessive degrees of rotation between the on and off positions, thereby making such flashlights difficult to turn on and off using one hand. Additionally, these switches also typically do not permit the user to turn the flashlight off when a head portion of the flashlight is removed to enable the flashlight to be used as a lamp. Finally, flashlights which permit the focus of the light beam to be adjusted by rotating a head assembly relative to a barrel typically do not permit the focus to be adjusted independently of the on/off function. Accordingly, the focus of the beam must be adjusted each time the flashlight is turned on.